Stripping attachment for pressure-sensitive tape dispensing rollers



Oct. 30, 1962 J. H. CASEY STRIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR PRESSURE-SENSITIVE TAPE DISPENSING ROLLERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aime/v57:

Oct. 30, 1962 J. H. CASEY 3,061,161

STRIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR PRESSURE-SENSITIVE TAPE DISPENSING ROLLERS Filed Sept. 30, 1957 T 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mus/W01? .Jmwzs h 6455/ %MW/M/ UnitedStates Patent STRIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR PRESSURE-SEN- The present invention relates to the dispensing of normally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive tape.

Certain existing dispensing mechanisms employ a traction roller that projects the leading end of the tape outwardly into an unsupported position, the tape freeing itself from the roller as it progresses.

The construction and operation of such a roller is more fully hereinafter described.

Heretofore the types of tape commonly marketed have been fully operative for such projecting rollers, but certain tapes now being sold frequently fail to free themselves; and an objective of the present invention is to provide an improvement in the form of an attachment for present types of machines that will enable the roller to project such tape in the required manner.

The present invention provides a device that attains this and other objectives, the said device comprising a finger element designed for attachment to the machine, the finger being characterized by a stripping nib that coacts with the projecting roller.

An illustrative embodiment is described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tape dispenser equipped with a tape deflecting finger according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the finger;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the finger being put into place by an operator;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the dispensing mechamsm;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the dispensing rollers and finger;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of an alternative form of the finger; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the finger of FIGURE 6 in place.

A cylindrical draft roller 20 and a cylindrical projecting roller 21 are mounted by means of shafts 22 and 23 for rotation about their respective axes.

The roller 20 is made up of a plurality of fixed axially spaced toothed discs 25 of equal diameter, the points of the teeth forming the peripheral surface of the roller, and the spaces between the discs forming circumferential grooves in the periphery of the roller. The roller 21 is similarly constructed of spaced toothed discs 26. The rollers are parallel and are positioned with the discs of each roller extending into the spaces or grooves between the discs of the other roller.

The rollers 20 and 21 are rotated clockwise simultaneously in a dispensing operation through suitable gears 27, 28 and 29 by a large driving gear 31 that is fixed to a rotatable shaft 32. The gear 31 is rotated clockwise by a downward dispensing stroke of an operating lever 33 which is fixed to the shaft 32. The upward return stroke of the lever is produced by a spring 35 which turns the shaft 32 back in the opposite direction, but, by reason of a ratchet means not shown, does not turn the gear 31.

A knife 36 is fixed to the front wall 37 of the dispenser casing above and adjacent to the tape projecting roller 21. A tape deflecting finger 40 is removably attached to the wall 37 below and adjacent to the roller 21 by means of a hook 41 on the finger that fits over the edge 42 of the H 3,061,161 Patented Oct. 30, 1962 wall. The edge 42 forms the lower boundary of an opening in the wall through which the roller 21 projects slightly, the knife 36 being positioned at the upper boundary of the said opening.

The finger has a tape deflecting portion 45 that extends downwardly from the roller 21, and a tape stripping nib 46 at its upper end that extends upwardly .into the groove between two of the discs 26 of the roller 21, the nib projecting to a point outside the periphery of the roller 21. The shape and proportions of the finger are such that when the upper extent of the finger is in contact with the bottom of the said groove, the inner end of the hook 41 bears forwardly against the rear surface of the wall 37 adjiacent the edge 42 of the wall, thereby producing a snug Normally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 50 is led from a supply roll 51 thereof, tacky side down, forwardly (to the right in FIGURE 4) over the roller 20 in adhesive contact therewith and thence forwardly over the roller 21 to a point beneath the knife 36.

The lever 33 is then depressed downwardly through its full dispensing stroke, causing the rollers 20 and 21 to rotate and propel the tape forwardly in a manner well known. As they turn, the tape is pulled or withdrawn from the supply roll 51 by the draft roller 20 by reason of its adherence thereto. It is deflected and stripped (removed) from the roller 20 by the roller 21. It is prevented from following the roller 21 by the projecting stripping nib 46 of the finger 40, the nib serving to deflect it from the roller, and it is thrust forwardly away from the roller 21 to form a projected unsupported length 50. If the projected portion falls as it lengthens, it comes into adhesive contact with the tape deflecting portion 45 of the finger, and is thus kept from becoming adhered to the outside surface of the front wall '37 of the dispenser casing; in which case, the leading end being held captive, the succeeding portion of the projected length bows outwardly and upwardly as the dispensing stroke continues, and the tape will have a position like that of the projected length 50" in FIGURE 4 at the end of the downward dispensing stroke of the lever 33.

The length 50 (or 50") is then manually grasped by the operator and severed by drawing it upwardly against the knife 36.

It will be noted that the gear 29 is slightly smaller than the gear 28. The projecting roller 21 therefore rotates somewhat faster than the draft roller 20 and has a peripheral speed faster than the speed of travel of the tape. This tends to produce what is sometimes called a kicking action, that is, the roller tends to kick the tape loose whenever contact is made.

As previously indicated herein, certain types of tape will free themselves from the tape projecting roller 21 and be thrust forward to form a projected unsupported length that occupies the approximate position of the length 50', without the aid of the stripping nib 46. Other types now being marketed however, either by reason of their lack of rigidity or by reason of their tendency to acquire a static electrical charge or for other reasons, tend to follow the roller 21; and it is for the handling of such types that the finger attachment of the present invention is provided.

The finger 40 may take other forms within the scope of the invention as described and/or claimed herein.

One such alternative form for example, is the finger 55 shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, which is made of wire, preferably spring wire, bent to shape, having a book 56, a tape deflecting portion 57 anda tape stripping nib 58. The upper portion of the finger that ends in the nib 58 presses against the bottom of the groove between two of the discs 26 of the roller 21, causing the inner end of the hook 56 to bear forwardly against the rear surface of the front wall 37 of the dispenser casing, as shown in FIGURE 7.

Some mechanisms that have a dispensing unit such as the combination of the draft roller 20 and the projecting roller 21 here shown, employ one or more intermediate rollers between the draft and projecting rollers and of like construction. The finger of this invention can of course be used with such units, for the co-action of the finger is with the final or projecting roller irrespective of the tape handling means that precedes it.

It will be further apparent that fingers according to the present invention, having a stripping nib or the combination of a stripping nib and a deflecting portion, may be employed as an attachment for use with tape projecting rollers such as the roller 21 wherever such rollers are employed in dispensing units.

The finger, here shown and described as a separate unit for attachment to existing mechanisms, may be built into or fastened to mechanisms as a permanent part of the whole.

I claim:

A finger element for attachment to a tape dispenser; the dispenser having a horizontally positioned tape dispensing roller mounted for rotation about its axis, at least one circumferential groove in the periphery of the roller, and a front wall, the wall having an upper edge that is parallel with and below the roller; the finger comprising a hook means for engagement with the said upper edge and with the rear surface of the front wall, a first elongate portion having a tape stripping nib at its free end, the first elongate portion, when the finger is attached to the dispenser, extending upwardly with respect to the hook into the groove and thence to a point outside the pcriphery of the roller to engage the tape when the roller turns with tape adhered to the peripheral surface of the roller, and a second elongate portion extending downwardly and forwardly with respect to the hook to engage the unsupported tape that falls after being stripped from the roller, the finger being made of spring wire that is bent to define the said hook means and the said first and second elongate portions, with the first elongate portion pressing against the bottom of the groove to cause the hook to bear forwardly against the rear surface of the front wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,275,410 Anderson et a1. Mar. 10, 1942 2,599,750 Erhardt June 10, 1952 2,631,534 Uhl et a1. Mar. 17, 1953 2,726,084 Shee Dec. 6, 1955 2,754,115 Krueger July 10, 1956 2,822,046 Krueger Feb. 4, 1958 2,849,065 Krueger et al Aug. 26, 1958 2,873,967 Larson Feb. 17, 1959 

